Raised on Rugby

Aug. 5, 2018 - Photographs and Text by David Maurice Smith in New York Times

In sports, few teams have dominated their competition the way the New Zealand All Blacks of rugby union have. Since the introduction of world rugby rankings in 2003, New Zealand has held the No. 1 ranking longer than all other countries combined.

A year ahead of the next Rugby World Cup, the dominance shows no sign of abating, even though New Zealand has a population of under five million and is a fraction of the size of several rivals in the sport. Understanding how New Zealand maintains that dominance requires a look at the grass roots of the game, where generations of young boys have dreamed of pulling on the black jersey.

Gisborne, on the quiet east coast of New Zealand’s North Island, is a place of such dreams. The humble city is home to Gisborne Boys’ High School, a public secondary school with a rugby pedigree. Gisborne Boys’ has won the National First XV Championship, the country’s premier tournament for high school rugby, four times and produced elite players, including multiple members of the All Blacks.

The majority of the high school’s student body is of Maori descent. The administration views nurturing a connection to cultural identity as a key to developing strong boys and strong rugby players.

“Most sporting teams strive to create a team culture, whereas our team is modeled after an actual living and breathing culture,” said Ryan Tapsell, dean of Maori studies at Gisborne Boys’ and the defensive coach for the First XV, the senior team composed of the most talented players in the school. “Our players reflect on the ancestors that have come before them, those that have set a foundation for us.”

The team follows guidelines, known as kawa, that feed off the traditional rules of Maori culture, which, if broken, negatively impact the team’s foundation.

The school also prioritizes the study of the game itself. Rugby is a credited course at Gisborne Boys’. Several days a week, students watch film, analyze game strategy, learn the principles of fitness, nutrition and training, lift weights and practice yoga. Room 11 has been dedicated to the former New Zealand winger Jonah Lomu, who wore No. 11 and is revered as one of the All Blacks’ finest players.

The apex of rugby identity at Gisborne Boys’ is the First XV. Mark Jefferson, the First XV head coach, states plainly, “The First XV is the very heart of our school.”

Joseph Bonaparte in New Jersey

From the New York Times

The name Bonaparte brings to mind many locales: Corsica, Paris, Alexandria, Waterloo and, finally, St. Helena.

New Jersey? Not so much.

Napoleon, the French emperor, never stepped foot in the state, but New Jersey was home to another Bonaparte: Napoleon’s older brother, Joseph, who was once the king of Naples and then Spain.

Bonaparte built a sumptuous estate in 1816 called Point Breeze in Bordentown, N.J., just south of Trenton, between the power centers of New York City and Philadelphia. He constructed atop a promontory that allowed him to see any hostile forces and perforated the grounds with tunnels that allowed quick escape, if necessary, to a boat on Crosswicks Creek, and from there to the Delaware River.

Now, the state, Bordentown and a land preservation trust have bought Point Breeze from the Society of the Divine Word, a Catholic missionary organization that has owned the property since 1941. Their plan is to preserve New Jersey’s connection to royalty and the Bonaparte family, and turn the 60 acres into a public park.

End of buzkashi ?

BY JASON MOTLAGH PHOTOGRAPHS BY BALAZS GARDI PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 2, 2021 In National Geographic

MAZAR-E-SHARIF, AFGHANISTAN When Khaibar Akbarzada enters the arena, a groundswell of murmurs and shouts arise from fans who instantly recognize his hulking frame and all-black uniform, emblazoned with a white number 7. In one forceful motion, the young contender swings up onto a horse and bolts into action.

It’s a Friday in early December 2020, and he’s playing the ancient game of buzkashi, the national sport of Afghanistan. Major matches are held in winter after Friday prayers. About 80 players from across northern Afghanistan, or chapandazan as they’re known, are swarming on horseback midfield. Somewhere in the scrum of mud and grunts and pulsing hoofs is the ball: the carcass of a calf or goat that’s been decapitated, gutted, and stitched up.

The goal is simple, though getting there can be brutal. To score, a rider must grab the “ball,” round a flag at the far end of the field, and drop the carcass into a chalked circle, called the “circle of justice.” Norms exist, and foul play is frowned upon, but opposing riders will do almost anything to prevent the drop.

During their five-year rule from 1996 to 2001, the ultraconservative Taliban banned buzkashi and many other forms of entertainment as “immoral." Now, 20 years since the fall of the Taliban leadership, and with U.S. forces drawing down from their longest war, Taliban militants control or are contesting nearly half the country—including large swaths of the north, where buzkashi has traditionally been played. In government-held areas, the Taliban are carrying out targeted assassinations and bombing roads and public gatherings to sow fear. As the country slides deeper into chaos, and Taliban advances curtail the pastime, chapandazan must take ever greater risks to earn a meager livelihood and keep tradition alive.